My childhood experiences of forests have led me to believe that forests are usually mysterious and scary. But these hidden enclaves of nature can also be sacred, and not just in movies like Avatar, but also in real life. We have one right here in India, in the beautiful state of Meghalaya. And to be honest, the movie did trigger the idea and that was when my friends and I started talking about a trip to Mawphlang Forest.
For a bunch of students living the campus life in Guwahati, nothing beats the thrill of an expedition. Although we have been to Shillong a few times, it was only to kill time over the weekends. But this was something neither of us had done before.
Reaching Mawphlang
We had to rent a car since we were still alien to the region and the terrain. Thankfully, the taxi fare from Guwahati to Shillong was cheap and the driver seemed knowledgeable enough.
We knew nothing about Mawphlang, except that the locals believe it to be sacred. Why? That was something we had to find out. The forest area is protected by the native tribes living in the area and is also supported by the local government. What I understood from our driver was that this forest is as old as the region itself and the ancient tribes associated it with their religious beliefs. Their descendants who survive till date have held onto the beliefs and consider this to be hallowed ground and preserve its sanctity. It was fascinating for us urban, millennial kids, who have very limited knowledge of how the ancient populations lived. And it intrigued me more.
Since we were out for the whole weekend, we needed a place to stay. The Maple Pine Farm seemed like the perfect place. It was a cross between a campground, a bed-and-breakfast, and a homestay. Run by a local family, this had a very warm vibe about it. Luckily, the hosts also organized local tours and expeditions and promised us to take us to the Mawphlang Forest the next morning. With fixed visiting hours (10 am to 5 pm) we had to make the most of it. We had managed to get a licensed car rental in Guwahati which came in handy for the tour.
The story of Mawphlang
Also known as Law Lyngdoh, the sacred forests of Mawphlang was a part of the East Khasi Hills and spread over a whopping area of 192 acres.
It looked like any other forest from far, but as we started getting deeper into the woods, I realized there was something unique about it. All the trees were thickly covered in moss and gave out a musty smell. In some places, there were stones arranged in a particular fashion. As our host narrated, the tribes who lived here thousands of years ago believed that these woods were home of their deity Labasa. He appears in the form of a leopard or tiger and protects the forest and its people from evils. To appease to their gods, the tribes would sacrifice animals. The rituals would take place in the temples situated deep inside the forest, where we were headed next. The temples were more of an open altar with huge monoliths erected on the ground and one slab placed horizontally, which I assumed would be the sacrificial table. While all these practices are history now, the legends and their beliefs continue to be deep-rooted among the community and they do their best to safeguard their heritage. The locals also host festivals in this forest to celebrate their tribal culture and worship nature.
The forbidden treasure
As intimidating as it sounded or appeared, the Mawphlang Forest was equally a treasure trove of the most unique and exotic plant life. There were a host of rare herbs and medicinal plants some of which were at least a 1000 year old. With a variety of ferns, aroids, unique species of flowers like orchids, this was a botanist’s paradise.
I was just about to pick an Araceae flower when my host reminded me of something that sounded scary, strange, and tempting at the same time.
Everything that grows in Mawphlang Forest, stays here. Nothing is allowed to be taken out of the forest, not a piece of log, a flower, or even a dry leaf. In quite an ominous tone, the host further added that removing anything from the forest is disrespectful to the deity which upsets him. If anyone fails to comply with this one rule, it could lead to death.
To this, we all were quite intimidated and yet, there was this little child inside me, desperately wanting to take back a flower or a leaf as a souvenir. At that moment something happened. I felt that I was all alone in the forest and I could not take a step forward. Although it lasted only a few seconds, it seemed like hours. I wondered what happened and why. Even though I did not take anything outside the forest, was the thought of it a sacrilege? Well, I would never know.
Love traveling.
